Sacrifice
by CynaclonempressZoey
Summary: No one has seen or heard from Amu Hinamori since she was supposed to start junior high. Now 4 years later she is finally found. She seems alright, but what is this secret that shes keeping from everyone? And why was she missing for 4 years?
1. Chapter 1

"Amu!" "I see them." Amu said as she ran, why are they after us?" "How should I know, what I do know is that they're not going to...AHH! Ran! Character transform!" "Right!" Amu and Ran,ally for her life. "Why are they after her pink chara, became and became Amulet Heart. "There, thats...WHOA!" Amu pulled her shirt down a bit. "Ran! Can we make this costume a bit more...fitting?" "Yep." The costume suddenly became a much better fit. "Ha...at times like these I hate getting older! YAHHH!" Amu's shoes turned into rollar blades that could fly and fly she did. "Ha! They can't get us no....AHHH!!!" Amu managed to just dodge a helicoptor. "What the!" "That was too close." "Yeah, it was...Ah!" "They don't seem to want to give up!" "Too bad for them! I don't intend on...AAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!" Amu screamed and began falling. "Amu!" The character tramsformation ended as Amu fell from the sky. "She wont wake up!" "Su, you go get the guardians or someone!" "Okay..." "Wait! I'll go, Su always gets sidetracked and forgets things too easily." "I do not." "Do so!" "Both of you go then." "Okay."

"No you don't!" "Huh...Yikes!" Ran, Miki, Su and Dia were caught and tossed into a sack. "Hey!" "Take these things along with the girl, then go by the hotel that her mother has requested for a stray cat and pick him up." "Yes sir." Several men left in several black cars, as an elderly man and a few men dressed in black left in the helicoptor, Amu unconsious with them.

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"Huh...uh...where am I?" Amu sat up and looked around the room she was now in. "This isn't my house...hello? Is there anyone...Yah!" "Hello there." "Who are you?" "No introductions needed, I work for Easter." "Easter...then...I'm in Easter's headquarters!" "Yes, you are, and you're to come with me." "Why?" "To meet with Mr. Hoshina." "Hoshina..." "Mhm" "My head hurts..." "Yeah, it'll be like that for a bit." Amu sighed and followed the guy down the hallway to a large door.

"Sir, the girl has woken up." "Send her in." "Yes sir, go in now." "Ah...wait...I..." Amu was shoved inside the room. "Take a seat miss Hinamori." "I'll stand thank you...OW!" "Fine then, you shall hang like that." Amu's arms had been tied to the ceiling. "Sorry about the actions we had to take to capture you, you're not bad at running away, another little kitty huh?" "Oh, shut up. Why am I here?" "I want you to work for Easter." Amu looked right at the man who was Ikuto and Utau's step father and burst out laughing.

"Sorry for being a bit rude there, but I thought for a moment that you actually expected me to work for you." "I do." Amu stopped laughing. "What...why?" "For a reason unknown to me, my master has taken a shine to you and wants you to work here from now on." "Ah..." "You'll have everything you need, you're own apartment, car, when you drive that is, all the money you could ever want, and you'll go to a lovely school of your choice." "Hm...even if it has my..." "Thats one thing, no, you cannot go to one that any of your gaurdian friends are going to." "Hm...Well, I guess I should..." "Yes?" "Say...NO! I would never work for this company! No matter how much this master fo yours likes me! To hell with that! I refuse!" "I see, I thought you'd be harder to bring over to this side then so many others, so I had a plan for this." "Huh?" "Open the curtain." A man dressed in black opened a curtain that had hid a plexi glass cage behind it. In it was Ikuto.

"Ikuto!" Amu lept from her seat and pressed her hands against the glass. "He can't hear you, nor can he see you. Now you control his fate." "what..." Amu suddenly noticed the little wires tapped to the boy's body. "What do you mean by that! Let him out of there!" "Hm...will you work for us?" "Huh?" "If you agree to work for us, we shall give Ikuto here all the freedom that he desires." "Y...You'd cut him loose of this company?" "Yes." Amu thought and looked at Ikuto. "I...i don't know...AH!" Amu shrieked when the cage was suddenly filled with electricity, elcetricuting Ikuto at the same time. "Stop!" "Only you can stop it Amu, say the word, just say it and he go free." Amu didn't want to watch anymore, but was tied to the ceiling and was forced to watch as they electricuted him again. "Say the words! Amu! Say the words, or, all this electricity will end up killing him, now say it!" Amu closed her eyes and sighed sadly just as they were doing it again. "Stop! I...I'll work for you." "What was that?" "I'll work for Easter so let him go!" "As promised. Take the boy down to the room and make sure he isn't dead already." "Yes sir."

"Now, see how easy that was? You could have saved him a whole lot of pain by just saying yes in the begining, but I guess it couldn't be helped, course, you had no idea that we had him in that cage, so I guess it's not technically your fault, right?" "You monster! How can you do that!" "Easy, I needed to get you to agree, so I did the only thing I knew would make you say yes, to Easter." " You're horrible! You and your stupid master! electricuting a kid!" "A boy who is older then, you remember that." "That doesn't matter!" "Anyway. You now work for Easter, and like I mentioned before, you'll have it all. However, it would not be wise to speak or see your friends ever again, and that includes Ikuto." "What! Why?" "We don't need you telling about what we had to do to get you to join, so if you do see or speak t eitther of them again...well, we'll not only bring Ikuto back here and take his newfound freedom away, but we shall also...dispose of thses little things." "What little...AH! Ran, Miki, Su, Dia!" "You keep up your end of the bargan and within time, when the master is sick of you, you shall be allowed these girls back, but not until then. Until then, they shall remain in their eggs, that special tape sealing them in." "No..." "Now, come with me." "Where?" "Just into another room to give you somethings that you'll need. Amu sighed and followed him, after she was untied from he ceiling that is.

"Enter, and please lay down on the table." "HUH! What the fuck are you going to do to me!" "Nothing, just vacinate you from anything that you may be prone to, nothing bad, just a standard and simple procedure." "Oh..." "We make all of our staff do this, even the ones who don't know a thing about what really goes on here." "Oh...alright then...I don't have to get undressed do I?" "No." "Good."

Amu lay down on the table and was suddenly strapped to it. "Hey! Wait! Whats going on!" "It's alright. Bring in the X soulution." "X Solution?" "A new serim that we've developed from the liquid X eggs." "What...what will it do to me?" "Hm...don't know, you're the first one we've tried this on." "Ah...No! No! Let go! NO!!" The needle was inserted into Amu's arm and she could feel the liquid in her veins. "No...what have you...AH!" Suddenly she began to glow and all of a sudden a set of black wings grew from her shoulders and her eyes were a strange color. She grasped a large weapon and looked at the old man. "Well, now...interesting..." "Hm..." "Are you still Amu?" "I am Death Angel." "Death Angel, huh?" "Mhm." "I see...oh." Amu returned to normal. "What the hell did you do to me!" "I've made you into a warrior, like Ikuto and Utau were, until you turned them back to the good side!" Amu shook her head, "NO! I...uh..." Another needle was inserted, this one had a knock out solution in it instead. Amu passed right out. "Take her to the room, the cat was in and make sure that X solution didn't harm her in anyway." "Yes sir." Amu was taken away and the old man phoned her parents.

"Hello, Mr. and Mrs Hinamori? Yes, this is the head of Easter Mr. Hoshina. I am requesting that your daughter, Amu go along with Utau on her European tour. Yes, wonderful I'll have someone come and get her things for her...I'm not too sure, it may turn out to be more then a year, is that still alright? Yes, schooling will be included...yes, alright, thank you very much, you have yourself a wonderful day, bye now." He hung up. "A sucker in every family. He said with a smirk then left the room and went back into his office.


	2. Chapter 2

"Hm...fruits, veggies, meats, and milk, there. Got it all...Oh! Right!" A young girl walked through the grocery store in search of a specific item. She scanned the shelves and smiled as she found it. "There, Sensei's special item...huh...Oh!" The girl turned and saw a young man watching her.

She knew the man and slightly backed away. He wasn't a bad guy or anything like that, but she'd sworn not to see him again. Course she thought, she couldn't control whether or not they ran into each other in the store, that'd just be coinsidence. She sighed and noticed that the man held her shopping basket.

"Ah...can I have that back please?" "Nope." "Give it...mmm!" She backed right up, after that. "Coming?" She was wide eyed, but nodded timidly, worry seeping through her. They went to the check out, and then left. He got into her car. "No, no, out, please." "No." "You stubborn!" It was not use, the man would not get out of the car. "Fine."

They arrived at the girl's apartment. "So, got your own place, huh?" "Yes, can I have my...Hey!" "Nice and roomy." "Give me the groceries and please leave!" "Hm..." He approached her until she was backed up against the counter. "Why do you want me to leave?" "I...I just do, thats all..." "Aww, thats not nice at all." "Please, go...I can't have you here..." "Why not?" "I...I can't tell you...I'm sorry, please go..." "No." "Ikuto!" "Not until you tell me why you've been missing for 4 years." "I went..." "Uh uh, thats a lie. You didn't go with Utau to Europe, cause there wasn't even a tour there." "No, but I did go to Europe." "For what?" "To escape..." "Huh?" "Nothing, but I was in Europe." "Why so long?" "I...I can't say, I'm sorry...now please, you have to go..." Suddenly a large boom was heard and both could see from the living room window that it was pouring rain. "I that?" "Ha, no, stay until it dies down at least." She said and went to put the things away.

"So who lives here with you?" "No one, why?" "You live here alone?" "Mhm, its better that way." "Why?" "Please stop asking why, cause its just going to be the same answer, that I can't tell you." "Ha, fine."

"Hrm..." Amu was busy chopping veggies for dinner, and Ikuto was begining to get very annoying, by constantly looking over her shoulder. She tried hard to ignore him, but he was very annoying. "Hm..." "Can you stop hovering over me, please?" She asked firmly, swinging her hand with the knife in it, which accidently cut his cheek.

"Oh! Shit, sorry, are you alright?" She asked worried like. "Hm?" "I didn't mean to...ah..." He pulled her into his arms and hugged her. "It's alright, no harm done." "Ah...but your..." "It will go away." Amu felt happy. She hadn't seen this guy for 4 years and at that time it hadn't been the best time that she'd seen him.

He'd been locked in that cage and used as a barganing tool to get her to join Easter. She had joined and was actually still working for them. For about two years, she'd been off in Europe, with another girl who worked for Easter, who turned out to be Lulu. They'd been over there scouting out heart eggs. Easter as it seemed was still searching for the Embryo, and had believed that by using Amu's new character, Death Angel, they'd find it easier. They hadn't yet.

As he held her, Amu looked at her arm, where the needle filled with X solution had been injected into her body. She still transformed into Death Angel, sometimes even when she didn't have to. She hadn't been able to control her transformations and at first the scientists that developed the solution thought that she wasn't taking to it at all and were afraid that it would destroy her, but she learned to control it and got used to it, now everything was in the clear.

"Why so silent?" "No reason, just thinking." "So, why have you been gone for so long?" "I..." "Hm...hey, whats that?" Ikuto asked about the letter E on her arm that was in the place where the needle had been inserted. "Just a tatoo..." "Huh, looks like Easter's E symbol." "Really? I never..." "So you didn't start working for them?" "What..." "You didn't start working for them... did you?" "I..." "You did!" "I had to." "Okay...why?" "I...I can't say..." "Amu, why'd you agree to work for them?" "I have a good reason..." "No reason is good enough to explain why you'd work there." "It was a life or death situation!" "For who?" "A good friend of mine..." "Go on." "Ha, I hd refused them already and they'd guessed that I wouldn't agree to work for them, so they brought my friend in, in this cage," "Cage?" "Mhm, I was forced to watch as they tortured him." "Oh." "They said that if I were to agree to work for them, they would stop and let the boy go. So I agreed." "Just like that?" "I couldn't let them hurt him anymore, not when I was able to end it, by saying the words they wanted me to." "Who was it?" "..." "Amu?" "Hm...freedom." "Huh?" "They told me that my friend would be granted full freedom...never having to work or step through Easter's doors again...full freedom." "..." A look of realization crossed his face. "I see now..." "Mhm."

He hugged her tighter, "Even though you shouldn't have, thank you." "Hm...even though I had to work for them, I'm glad I was able to set you free from them." She said, and smiled, "I'd do it all over again too, infact if I could turn back the hands of time to that day, I'd have said yes to working there again, before all the..." "You don't have to say anymore." "Thanks...mmm!Mmmm."


	3. Chapter 3

"I hear that you ran into a cat while you were out the other day." Amu nodded, "I did sir, but it wasn't like I meant to, I was just out shopping and I ran into him and..." "You don't need to explain, it was only a harmless meeting at the store, and you're right, while out shopping, one can run into the most unlikely of people." "..." "Now, I didn't call you in here, to reprimand you, but to get your report on last night." "Oh. There was no Embryo found, sir." "I see...you would tell me if you had found it, right?" "Yes sir..." "Remember if you don't, that kitty, will be once again caged like an actual animal." "I know, and no there was no sighting and yes, I would tell you if there had been." "Good, you may go and join the others in the lab." "The lab, sir?" "Yes, we are working on a new way to scan through heart eggs to find the embryo." "Oh..." "Now, go." "Yes sir." Amu left and headed to the lab.

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"Agh! I am so damn tired!" Amu said to herself as she walked through her door and locked it. "What the heck do they think they can accomplish with that stupid thing?" She wondered. She'd just come from working in the lab of Easter and had been present when the scientists had unveiled their latest creation.

"A lazer beam that can tell what a heart egg is...yeah right, like the others would ever let that thing work very long..." Amu sighed and went inot her bedroom, where she went to change out of what Easter's master always had her wear to work. "Dang jerk! Why do I have to wear this? It's like he wants me to be a kind of..." "Mother figure?" Asked a voice from behind her.

"Why are you **still** here and why are you in **my** bed!" "I slept in too long, then it got cold in the living room, so I came in here." "Argh! Do you know how much trouble I could get in, if anyone were to find out you've been here for this long?" "Hm...alot I wager." "Alot! Heck, they find out and you'll get roped back into their web." "Hm...sounds fun." "Are you being sarcastic or serious?" "Hm...a little of both." Amu sighed, and continued changing in her bathroom.

"So...what exactly is that mark for?" "Hm? Oh, thats where they stuck me with their damn needle." "Needle?" "With the X solution in it." "..." "You didn't know about the X solution?" "Nope, what is it?" "The results of melted down X eggs." "Oh." "They said it was something new and experimental, and that it should work perfectly fine with my body...but it didn't." Amu said lightly, "Not at first that is. I had to learn how to control my transformations." "Transformations?" "Thanks to the solution in my body, I am able to transform my character." "What do you turn into?" "A monster." "Oh?" "Actually, I'm called Death Angel when I transform, but the reason I call that self of me a monster, is because, I have this large weapon, and with one swing, all heart eggs from anywhere within the area are yanked from their person and with another swing, if none are the embryo...I slice them to pieces." "I see." "I hate doing it! I hate it!" Amu said, tears dripping down her cheeks.

Ikuto pulled her into his arms. "It's not like you want to do this though, right?" "Right, but I have to, I signed a 4 year contract that is up in another three months." "I see." He just held her close. He didn't have the heart to tell her that Easter was only partially giving him freedom.

They didn't chase him anymore, which was good, but they still used the violin that he carried to make him become Death Rebel again, whenever they wanted, and they had people watching his every move. He sighed as he held the crying girl, who'd given up her freedom for his, even though Easter followed through with it.


	4. Chapter 4

It was a few days later, when Ikuto came to call on Amu, but found the entire apartment to be empty. It was as if she'd never lived there at all. "Where..." He noticed a little piece of paper hidden slightly under a table leg. Curious as cats are, he picked it up and read what it had to say.

_I'm sorry, Easter has ordered me once again to go overseas and finish my work there. They've probably moved most of my things out, and have only left a few items. I most likely wont be living in that apartment anymore, when and if I am able to come back this time. But, this isn't the end, no, far from it, instead this is...well, a new begining. I am trying to put together enough evidence in hopes to possibly bring Easter down, but there is still alot that I need to get accomplished first. So, I guess I'll see you when I can, but it may not be for quite sometime. Bye, now._

_Amu._

_P.S _

_Theres a little party happening at the location on the back of this letter, hope you like and enjoy it._

"Hm...Easter must have found out somehow, that we'd met up recently...but how?" He wondered to himself then looked up in the corner of the room. "Huh?" There was a small hole that looked like it had been recently made and something had been taken out from the ceiling. "Security cameras huh, thats how they found out." Ikuto said, and after looking at the location on the back of Amu's letter, stuffed it into his pocket and walked away.

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"Hey, Amu," "Hm? Yeah Lulu?" "Why're you so out of it today?" "Huh?" "Ever since you got back here, its like you've been in a rut, whats the deal? We're in Paris! You should be happy! Not moppy." "Hm, yeah, well, I'm not really into being here right now." "Oh?" "It's nothing, lets change the subject, alright?" "Ah...sure, thing...hey!" "Hm?" "Lets have some ice cream," Amu sighed and nodded, "K, my treat, don't worry about it." "Really? Are you sure? I can pay for my own, you know." "I know, but whats the point of having the access code for Easter's account, if you can't spend a bit of the money in it." "You have the code!" "Mhm, you don't?" "No, neither did that boy either...I don't think that is." "Boy?" "You know him, the one with the cat ears, during character change." "Oh, Ikuto." "Yeah, never really got to know his name, didn't care to, but yeah, I don't think he knows it either." "Huh?" "What?" Amu just looked at Lulu, "You said you don't think he knows it...wouldn't they have changed it? when they freed him?" "Freed? What do you mean?" "I...I thought..." "You can't be free of Easter once you start working for them!" "What! They agreed to free him though..." "Who? Ikuto?" "Yes, it was part of our arrangement, that I would work for them, if they gave Ikuto full freedom." "Well, you were fed a bunch of lies." "..." Amu was silent as could be.

After all they'd done to get her to join in the first place, the only real thing she'd wanted was for them to let Ikuto go. "Amu?" "Hm?" "You know though, I havent been back there since we left the first time, so maybe they have held to their end of the agreement, you never know, right?" "Yeah, I guess so...but I think you were right about them never letting anyone of their workers go free." Amu said, as the two girls headed towards an ice cream shop.

"So, Amu," "Yeah?" "Do you like him?" "Who?" "Ikuto of course, he's the ony guy we've been talking about, right?" "Yeah, right, and yes, I do. A lot." "Hm...interesting, and here I thought you liked that blond boy from your guardian group." "Tadase? Yeah, I like him alot too, and a few others, but I think I know the one that my heart wants me to be with." "Who?" "I myself am not sure of that one yet." "Ah. Hey," "Hm?" "Lets go shopping!" "Ah...hm, okay." They headed to do some shopping, "Oh, by the way, here, I got what you asked me to get while I was back in Japan." "EEEK! You are so awsome!" "Whoa, now girl, let go, please." "Sorry."


	5. Chapter 5

"Ikuto!" "Hm?" "You're not hitting the right notes, and you're quite out of tune. Try harder." "Yes sir." It had been a year since Amu had been sent back to Europe by Easter. Ikuto was now being taught a bit more about playing the violin at a music school. "Now normally he would be able to play through without any mistakes, but lately he hadn't been able to get the notes right, and was very out of tune. "Ikuto! Do want to be able to perform live with your music?" "Ah...I think I might..." "Then try harder! One more time! From the top, and this time, do not make any mistakes!." "Yes, sir."

"Hm...it feels so good to be back in Japan, though I really wish Sensei was here with me too. Why'd he have to go back so soon. Ah, well I guess it couldn't be helped." A young woman was walking past the window of her new school, when she heard a familiar sound. "This music! It's..." She listened for a bit, and looked through the window at the boy with dark hair, and a violin in his hands. She smiled slightly, then realized something. "I can't just show up right now...not after I left the way I did that last time...that was kind of mean..." "Ikuto! Why are you having such a difficult time with this piece? You used to play it non stop when you were a bit younger, so why are you having problems with it now!" "I'm not sure, myself, sir." "Well, get it together, or else you can pack your bags and just go back home! Am I clear?" "Yes, sir, loud and clear." "Just play the damn thing and this time, NO mistakes!" Amu heard the music start up again, and sighed. She wanted to do something, maybe sing to the song, like before, but she hesitated, and then just walked away.

"Hello?" "Is there anyone...oh, I'm sorry." "No, don't be, I was just leaving. I'll be out of here in a moment, so you can..." "Oh, its alright, actually, I like having someone, other than my teacher listen to me play." "Hm?" "I mean if you aren't comfortable playing in front of a felow classmate, then your not ready to perform for a large audience." "I see your logic...are you new here?" A young girl smiled, "Yes, actually I just moved here from overseas." "You learn to play there?" "Mhm, from a very skilled sensei." "I see." "My name is Uma Himamori..." "Did you say Hina? Or Hima?" "Oh, Himamori." "Ah, I'm..." "Ikuto Tsukiyomi." "...How do you..." "You're the son of the great violinist Aruto Tsukiyomi, right?" "Yeah...right." "I thought so, I was heading here when I heard the way that teacher was talking to you, and you should't worry, making mistakes is a part of life." "Hm..." "If you don't make mistakes, you'll never learn the things that you need to kno in life." "You seem to know alot about that." The girl smiled as she opened her instrument case.

"Yes. There were mistaks I made once, that even if I could I would not change what I did to make them, except for one." I see...ah..." "What is it?" She held up her violin. "You have a pink..." "A pink violin? Yeah, I know, I had it customly made." "..." "This isn't the one that I learned on though, that one is safely packed away." "Why don't you use it?" "Its far too special for me to use." "I see."

The girl positioned the violin properly, then ran the bow across the strings. "Hm...you're a bit out of tune there, lets try once more...there, thats better, thank you." "Who are you thanking?" "The violin." "Why?" "I always thank my violin when I play. See cause in reality, isn't it the violin that makes the performance that much better?" "I guess..." "So it only fits that one should thank their violin or whatever instrument they play after and before a performance." "You have quite a bit of respect for violins, huh?" "Mhm, I do." She began to play.

"I've heard this...no, I've played this before." "Really? Well in that book over there on page five I've written song to go with the music, go ahead and take a look if, you like." Ikuto shrugged "Its okay, maybe some other time, right now though I have to be going...huh?" A girl came into the room.

"Uma, theres a car out front waiting for you." "Thanks." The girl, Uma, packed up her violin, then turned to Ikuto and smiled, "Don't worry, you'll find your focus again, even if it takes a while." She said and left. "Hm...huh...oh."

"Hello, miss," "Hello." "Did things go alright today?" "Yes...somewhat." "Shall we go home?" "Hm...no, theres a place I want to go." "Alright...oh, there seems to be a man running towards us." "Hm? It's alright, please just drive." "As you wish, miss."

"Hey! Wait, you forgot you book..." Ikuto said, but the car didn't stop or turn around. "Huh, well I guess I'll give it to her again when I see her again, if I see her again that is."


	6. Chapter 6

_It don't matter _

_What my friends think_

_It don't matter_

_What they say_

_They can't take the way_

_I feel for you away._

_No matter what_

_No matter how_

_I love you_

_Forever and always_

_Believe me when I say_

_This is real_

_This is the way I feel_

_They say they don't like_

_That I love you_

_They tell me to stay_

_Far away, but_

_I can't do that_

_Cause_

_No matter what_

_No matter how_

_I love you_

_Forvever and always_

_Believe me when I say_

_This is real_

_This is the way I feel_

_We'll show them, that_

_Our love will prevail_

_We will not let it fail_

_We'll be together_

_Always and forever_

_Cause_

_No matter what_

_No matter how_

_I love you_

_Forver and always_

_Believe me when I say_

_This is real_

_This is the way I feel_

_This love is real_

_This is the way I feel_

_The way I feel._

"Very good." "Ha, why exactly do **I** have to become a singer too?" "So that none of your little friends will ask you why you're working with us, if they become curious." "Ah, so...now what then?" "Well...lets call it a day for now, but write up another new song. For tomorrow." "Whatever." "Oh, and the master wants to..." "Yeah, yeah, but I can't right now, I have something I need to get to." "Such as?" "None of your buisness." "Wrong it..." "Wrong. I was hired to be a personal worker for the master, not for you or this company, so unless you'd like me to tell him that you are making me very upset, you'll let me go." "Ah..." "Do you really want him getting mad at you for that?" "No, go ahead, just be back here right after." "Sure thing. Bye now." Amu hurried out of the building and got into a tinted car, that quickly drove away as soon as she was inside.

"Good afternoon miss, how are you today?" "Tired." "Ha, ha, same here miss. Where to?" "The old music store on the corner." "Ah, yes, I'll have you there in a jiffy." "Thank you. Has there been any news whether the master is supposed to be returning home soon?" "Not as of yet, miss, I'm sorry." "Oh, thats alright, something must be keeping him busy in Paris." "Most likely...ah, here we are miss." Thank you...is..." "Yes, miss, its in that little compartment there." "Thanks, and thank you so much for looking after me while he's away." "Think nothing of it. Have fun." "I always do." Amu got out of the car and walked into a music store.

"Ah, hello there, I havent seen you in quite sometime now." "I know," "Hm? Oh, I see you've taken it up as well have you?" "Yes, theres just something about the sound that it can make that makes me so calm and at ease." "Hm, I know what you mean." "Is it alright if I practice here?" "Yes, theres a little room at the back, you can practice there if you'd like." "Thank you very much." Amu went into the back room and began her practice.

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"Hm...shes good." "Yes, she is." "Well, bless my stars, I have not seen you in ages." "I know." "So, I take it you've been teaching her how to play?" "Yes, I have." "Have you made time to see your own children?" "You know, she asked me the same thing when we were coming here. I told her what I'm going to say now, I do not think I'm ready to return to them just yet." "Oh?" "Or, its not really me, but I don't think they'er ready to have me return yet." "Ah, well, I wouldn't be too sure about that." "Hm...anyway, I'm going to go surprise her...oh!" "Sensei!" "Looks like she knew you were here already." "So it does."

"Sensei, when did you get in? How was your flight?" "Fine, it was all fine, no need to worry...oh, but I see that you have worried..." Amu was pulled into an embrace. "I'm sorry, I didn't know that I would have to stay longer then I said I would." "Its, alright, I'm just glad that you're back." "Hm, shall we go home then?" "Mhm." "See you later Amu, and you as well, sir." "Yeah, you'll probably be seeing alot more of me now." "Thats a good thing." Amu and her sensei were just leaving when his phone went off.

"Hello? Speaking....what, wait I just got back here...you cannot be serious!" Amu sighed, she knew the call was to say that her beloved sensei had to return to Paris, right away. "Look, how about just giving me a week...three days? Ha! Fine! See you when I get in." He hung up his phone and turned to Amu. "Ah, Amu, look I..." "Its alright, you have to get back to Paris to work, right?" "Hm, I do, but I don't want to, lord knows what Easter will have you do, while I'm gone." "Sensei..." The two hugged.

"Argh! I cna't believe that I have to wait until next week till my next class...Huh?" Ikuto had been coming from school, when he'd passed by two people hugging. At first he was just going to walk by, when he heard the man call the woman's name.

"Amu, I don't want to have to leave you alone again so soon." "It alright, I understand." "Hm."

"Amu...what is amu doing here with...no way! That can't be!" Ikuto thought in alarm when he got a good look at the man's face. "Why is he here...and why is he with Amu."

"Sensei, I'll be fine, don't worry...sensei?" "Ha, I'm afraid I'm leaving you with more then one burden to take care of." "Hm?" "I'll be back as soon as I possibly can, Amu. Goodbye till then...good to see you, Ikuto." "Ikuto? What?" Amu's sensei walked away as she turned to see Ikuto right there watching her. "Ah...this is not going to be easy to explain." She started walking towards him, thinking of what she was going to say to him.


	7. Chapter 7

Amu walked towards the boy with the unable to describe look on his face. She took a deep breath and was about to say something when he spoke. "Don't come any close." She stopped, it had been the same intense voice he'd used back when she'd thought it had been him getting rid of the Xeggs. It meant that he was not happy, at all.

"Ikuto...theres a reasonable explantaion for this, I assure you..." "Then what is it?" "I...I can't tell you here..." "Then you wont tell me at, is that it?" "No, no! I want to tell you...I just can't right now..." "I see." He began walking away. "Ah..." Amu ran and grasped onto his arm. "Please, don't be angry with me...I can't tell you right now, thats all...no one can know thats hes back here, if anyone, such as Easter learns of this...he'll be in danger...please, don't be angry with me." "Ah...ha." "Don't cry, and come here." Amu was wrapped in an strong embrace. "You know, this is not like your normal character at all." "Mhm, I know." "Well, since you can't tell me here, lets go somewhere, that you can tell me?" "K." They left together, and went to where Amu was now living, a place that was not owned by Easter.

"Alright, so now that theres no worries, tell me how you ended up in the park just now, hugging my...father."


	8. Chapter 8

"It was actually a few days after I returned to Europe...Lulu had asked me to go do some shopping with her and I was feeling down, so I went with her. While we were out, Lulu decided that she wanted to go to the amusement park so we went there." "Ah, I see, by the way how did you do it?" "Do?" "How did you get them to not tear down that amusement park?" "Ah, well, I just pulled a few strings and got them to repaint it and to redo some of the decorations as well, did you like it?" "Interesting I admitt..." "So...truthfully, you ride any of the rides?" "You've got to be joking." "No, I'm really not." "Ah...well...not really." "Why?" "Ah, I'm not exactly the same as I was then, you know..." "Aww! No fair, oh well, guess that means that I can be the one to take you on one." "What! Oh, no!" "Why not? I'm not going to make you ride the teacups again...unless you want me to..." "No, I don't." "Then I wont..." "Anyway, you changed the subject!" "Did I? I never noticed." "Yeah, yeah, back to your story." "Oh, right."

"Like I said, we went to the amusement park, and got seperrated when we got on the faris wheel. It was on the faris wheel that I met your father, I actually thought that your father was you, I mean the two of you look alot alike. Anyway, long story short, we got to talking and found out that he was your father. It was a few days later that I saw him again, while waiting for Lulu. He was reading in the park and I happened to glance over and thats when I saw him." "Huh, so how did it go from a mere run in, to him coming back here to Japan, and me seeing him hugging you?" "Well, I was heading back to the apartment, when I heard music coming from an open window. hm, the way that I heard it, it reminded me of the way you play your violin." "I see." "I went to find out who was playing, and saw that it was your father, so I sat down outside the window and listened to him play, until I fell asleep. I don't know what time it was, but he came to close the window and saw me there sleeping. I woke up and explained why I had been there listening, then I left." "I see, that still doesn't explain..." "Yeah, well, I was continuing my walk home, when a car pulls up and inside is your father. He offers me a lift home and thats when I asked him, why he was taking time out of his day to give me a lift home, you know what he told me?" "Whats that?" "That he was being kind to me, because in my eyes he could see a sad little girl that desperatly wants to go home to her own family." "Huh, I see." "He was right, and after that I started spending a bit more time with him, it got me out of all the Easter business and all that stuff...but then one day I had transformed into Death Angel, and had already sliced the Xeggs from several people's hearts, when your father came by. He talked me into stopping, and letting the eggs return to their hosts. After that, he insisted that I live with him in his house, ever since then I have been. Then he convinced me to come back to Japan, but he had to return for work. Thats when he came back today." "Ah, so he was sort of, your parental person, huh?" "Yeah, I guess. He taught me to play the violin and how to control my transformations, until I didn't have them anymore." "Huh, well, I guess there was a good thing in you running back to Europe, huh?" "Hey, I left a note saying why I had to go so suddenly." Amu was all flustered, and Ikuto just chuckled his normal chuckle. "Hey!" "I was joking." He said and pulled her into his arms.

"So...do you have a violin?" "Hm? Yeah I do." "Can I see it?" "Mhm, come see." Amu led Ikuto into a room, that her sensei had given her to use for practice and keeping her violin in. "Hm?" "Here it is." "Oh...its...blue!" "Yeah, so that a problem?" "No, but its weird." "What? Having a blue violin? I have a green one too, and a golden colored one...oh and..." "There are mini spades on this." "Mhm, this is my Spade violin, the green is my clover, the gold my..." "Let me guess, your diamond one?" "Mhm, oh and my other one is the heart one." "Heart?" "Mhm, its in the repair shop right now, due to a string breaking, I pick it up tomorrow, along with my customized carrying cases and bows." "Huh...what color is your heart one?" "Pink." "Pink...do you know a girl named Uma Himamori?" "Mhm, shes me. I switched my first name around and just used the last name Nikaido used to call me." "Ah...wait...how'd you get that good?" "Like I said, most of my free time I spent learning to play and control my transformations. So I learnt very quickly." "Ah, makes sense." "Mhm." "So...then this little book is yours?" "Oh! There it is! I thought I'd lost it." "So it is yours...why do you have songs written in here?" "Ha...to keep my real reason for working for Easter a secret, I had to become a singer." "Ah...you a singer?" "Shut up." Amu said, slightly wrenching free from his arms. "Hey, hey, don'tbe mad." "I'm not mad, I'm embarrased..." "Don't be that either." "Hm...fine, but only if..." "If what?" "We can go to the amusement park tomorrow." "Ah...ha, fine, we'll go to the park tomorrow." "Promise?" "Pro..." "Make a promise, you have to keep it, remember." "Ah, course..." "Like I kept my promise a long time ago, about making sure that the park didn't get shut down." "When'd you make that one?" "When you werent around, I mean it seemed so important to you, so I made sure to keep it active." "Huh. Thank you." "No problem."


	9. Chapter 9

"So...is this thing really going to work?" "It sure will." "I doubt it." "Oh, you're just being negative!" "Yeah, cause I don't think that thing is going to work any better then that flying disk one you guys made." "They worked! Just not together and it didn't help that you kids kept destroying them!" "Hey, I was just going along with my job at that point." "Hmph. So how many times did that Embryo come out?" "Ah, I didn't keep count, cause they were times when I was usually falling from the sky!" "Ah..." "Tell me you wouldn't be concentrating on your falling rather then how many times a glowing egg shows up!" "Ah..." "She's got you there." "Anyway, it will work." Amu sighed, "Yeah, but if my friends have anything to say about it, it wont be working for long." "..." Amu went to leave, but ran into the director.

"Ah, sir?" "She's right, but that is why we have Death Angel, isn't it?" Amu's eyes went wide. "Sir, please, you don't expect me to fight my friends do you! Please say you don't!" "Too bad, for you, Death Angel will fight whom ever I say she will fight, including the guardians that used to give us so much trouble." "No! You can't make me do this!" "Shall I capture the cat again then?" "..." "Hm? You know our arrangement." "Yes, but...I..." "Then you must follow through with it, or Ikuto will no longer be free." Amu hung her head, then remembered what Lulu had said to her.

"Tell me one thing...and I deman the truth. Is Ikuto really free?" "What! You dare question our mas..." "No, not the master, you. I dare to question your word. The master's word is good I already know that, but yours, is nothing but shit!" "You will do well, to shut up and just..." "Is Ikuto free or not!" "Why should I tell you?" "Hm, because if you don't I will not only quit working here, but I will also never come back here, not even to see the master...now who do you think he'll be themost angry with? Me, his favorite person, or you, the reason why I quit." "Ah..." "Tell me now!" "..." "Fine." Amu headed for the elevator. "Where are you going?" "To tell Gozen, that I quit personally...agh!" "You are not to go anywhere near the master!" "Who says? You? Oh, no I will only never go near him when he tells me to never come near him. Not you!" "He is free!" "Completely? You don't make him become Death rebel? You don't have men following him?" "No I..." "Thats a lie, cause just the other day, I noticed several men secretly following after him. so are you going to continue to lie to me? Or are you going to tell me the truth?" "Fine, I have men watching him, but only to enssure that is doing nothing to get back at Easter." "I see." Amu straightened herself up. "What about Death Rebel?" "There were times when I did make him turn into Death Rebel...while you were in Europe..." "Hm...alright, well, I really do have to go up and see him, he's requested it of me as of early this morning, but I was kept somewhat busy down here. Now, if you'll excuse me." "You aren't going to quit, are you?" "Don't know yet, I mean we agreed on complete freedom, but if I am not forced to fight my friends...maybe I might forget that and continue to work here, but that, director is entirely up to you." Amu said smugly and headed up to the master's chambers in the elevator.

"Hey, its me, I need you yo inform Tadase and the rest that Easter is planning on a battle with the new machines. I don't think they'll work, but they might, also...Death Angel...or Death Rebel maybe making an appearene to distract them. Talk to you after work." Amu finished and hung up her cell phone that was not able to be traced and had not been seen by the security cameras. She sighed as she stepped into the room, she didn't mind coming to see the master, but she really wished she had more free time to herself.

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"What did I tell them!" Amu exclaimed as she flopped down onto her couch. "I knew that, that machine wouldn't work...well, course I did kind of warn the guys about it, so I guess thats my fault...not that I care wheter their stupid thing worked or not." She said and kicked off her shoes. "I'm just glad we didn't have to fight them...that would have been hard to explain...oh!" "You know, you're really fast when you want to be." "Oh, sorry, thought I 'cat' was faster then a girl...HEY!" Amu was flipped over and set lightly on the carpet. "What?" "Agh! Don't do that...ah..." "Why?" "Cause...don't do that either!" "Aww, but you like it, don't you?" "Shut up...mmm!" "You seem to like that too...whoa." "Pervert! Hey! Let go...uh...I don't think this is a good position to be in right now..." "Why not?" "Ah...its very...unexplainable..." "Why would you need to explain? To who?" "Whoever was to walk through the door...AH!" "What?" Amu lightly pushed Ikuto over, and now hovered over him. "Nothing." "Hm...you know I kind of like this position...OW!" "Pervert!" "Hm...huh? Someone's here." "Huh?" Amu saw the jacket on the arm of the kitchen chair and smiled, then thought of something.

"Ah...hold on a moment." "Why?" "Cause I have to go and change..." "Can't I come?" "No." "Hm...I remember when we were in the same room and you were changing...OW!" "PERVERT! Don't remember that!" "Why not?" "Cause I said so..." "Amu?" Amu straightened herself up and went down the hall. "Huh?" Ikuto sat on the couch wondering what the girl was doing.

"You're back early!" "I thought I'd surprise you...oh, but what happened to your face?" "Hm? Oh, Easter had me go out again." "Ha, I should have brought you back to Paris with me..." "It's alright..." "Hm, did everything work out?" "Hm? Oh, yes...um...are you hungry?" "Sure, want some help?" "No, it alright, I can handle it." "Alright, if you need help, just ask." "I will, sensei."

"Ah, good you're..." "Here can you take this to the study room for me, please?" "Sure, but..." "Please, I'll be right there." "Alright." So Amu went into the kitchen and Ikuto went into the study carrying the jacket. He was going to just leave the thing on the couch in the room, until he saw his father sitting at the desk. "Ah..." "Hm...looks like she wants us to talk," "Fine then, where shall I begin?" "Lets begin with...why you left in the first place." "Good place to start, alright, but are you prepared for the story?" "Just get on with it." "Sure thing."

Amu smiled to herself as she made up the dinner for the two of them and sighed, "It's about time they spoke, after all this time. I don't really like being the only one to know his reasons for things. So, I'll just leave the dinner here and go out for a bit." She said and covered the dinner, put on her coat and left the apartment, while father and son spoke in the study.


End file.
